Cooperstown Central School presented its budget for the 2000-2001 school year to the community on May 2.

Board member Keith Additon did the honors. A booklet was handed out detailing the breakdown of the three budget components, administrative, program and capital.

The first category includes expenses for the Board of Education, district clerk and meeting, business and chief school administrator, auditing, treasurer, tax collector, purchasing, legal, public information and personnel services, curriculum development and supervision, data processing, printing and mailing, special items excluding tax certiorari and employee benefits. A total of $1,193,225, reflects an increase over last year of $26,500.

The program component includes expenses for training, teaching, programs for students with disabilities, occupational education, school library and audio visual, educational television, computer assisted instruction, attendance, guidance, health and psychological services, pupil personnel services, co-curricular activities, interscholastic athletics, district and contract transportation and employee benefits. A total of $9,335,503 reflects an increase of $511, 441.

Capital expenses include operation and maintenance of plant, debt service, tax certiorari, purchase of buses and employee benefits. At $1,933,627, the increase from last year is $32,242.

Additon said that there are four forces driving the budget increase: salaries, benefits, BOCES expenses and the fact that the district has to purchase two school buses.

"There's no aid from the state to cover the bus we didn't buy last year," explained Additon. He said that the state aid for these two buses won't be reflected until next year.

He talked about the after school CROP program, saying of the grant, "Don't look at it as a gift. It's your tax dollars coming back to you."

He reminded people that there's no magic for getting money and that if it doesn't come from the state then the only other place to get it is from taxpayers. Discussing the cost per pupil spent by the district, Additon said, "We're proud of what we do with that number but we're one of the lowest per student spenders in the state."

Driver's education will not be included in the curriculum, though Additon said he'd like to see it.

"It's important," he said. "For teenagers, it's the most common way they die."

He said that district taxpayers will get a mailer after the hearing that will include last year's budget, this year's proposed budget and the contingency budget. The proposed budget reflects a 4.8 percent increase over last year's budget, with an average tax levy increase of 8.6 percent.